Tonko: I'm glad there's a process for Rangel

Rep. Paul Tonko said he wants the process for ethics charges against Rep. Charlie Rangel to play out, and he will not attend the delegation dean’s birthday party Wednesday.

“I think it’s positive that there’s a process there that is utilized, and it works itself, and I think that the important thing is to give the process its due and let it do its work. We take a wait-and-see approach,” Tonko told me at an event in Amsterdam. He said he has not advised Rangel on the matter.

And as an incumbent in a solidly Democratic district, he’s not worried about negative effects of Rangel’s case trickling up. Some of his other colleagues may see the issue play out more acutely.

“I think people, they look at every campaign they look at the candidates, what you have to offer, what you bring to the table,” he said. “I think it’s very localized, very personalized, and the whole mantra of all politics are local is very true. I think people want to hear about jobs, job creation, reforms that will make government work better, and they want to know about your vision for the future, and we’re out there sharing those sentiments on all counts, with people.”

Then I asked about the birthday party.

“I’m not certain. To whose birthday party is it?” Tonko replied. “I don’t look at all my mail, I don’t look at all my scheduling until later.”

He promised to follow up. And he did: spokesman Beau Duffy sent an e-mail explaining Tonko had been invited but was not planning to attend; he had “long-standing commitments for that day.”